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ESD Heartened by Rise of the Smart City

Smart cities are one key to a better future. As The Wall Street Journal reports, “Big-data technologies are beginning to transform the way cities work.” In Chicago, the Journal notes, an algorithm helped the Department of Public Health manage potential restaurant violations much more efficiently.

ESD has championed the concept of smart cities for many years. Kurt Karnatz, head of ESD’s Intelligent Building Practice, explained in 2016 how everything from energy usage to parking can be improved as cities embrace sensors and other technological advances. Not only that, Intelligent Buildings – with their positive economic, environmental and experiential outcomes -- are growing in importance. Through personal geo-location and digital credentialing, an occupant entering an Intelligent Building can change the lighting, temperature and other factors in the room he or she will soon enter.